Law Enforcement gets eye in the sky: Part 2

February 6, 2010 Special Report    Print    Email this Article   1 Comment

High above the Rio Grande valley sky the view is crystal clear…

“got three rafts coming your way”

A pick up truck loaded with pot…Plunges into the Rio Grande river as police on ground and by air .

Got a red for , rafts on the water…Look for guns Rudy”
Ruin the smugglers attempt to successfully cross over the bundles of drugs into texas.

“they’re pulling the rafts out of the water”
Its back to Mexico for these drug smugglers, a trend becoming too familiar for pilots protecting our border from high above

“We have seen a change in the last year or so. Seems like these organizations are getting more aggressive, their technology has increased, the organization has increased, we have increased our capability with our helicopters that you can see here. We try to stay ahead with technology”

A 12 year department of public safety veteran in charge of the Laredo and Mcallen aircraft divisions.

“I flew before I was in the Texas DPS aircraft section, always had interest in flying.I had flown with DPS pilots as a city officer and highway patrolman. This was the direction I wanted to go to do the most good.”
For Holland and his crew of seven based in Mcallen, catching criminals is just one of the functions at one of the busiest air stations out of the 14 in the state.

“we provide air support to state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. We do a lot of lost person searches, small children, criminal photography, search and rescue, pretty much anything you can do in a helicopter, law enforcement wise we do”

The reason these pilots are successful is two fold. Meet the Eurocopter-145. It took two years to perfect and can carry up to ten people.

The Texas DPS aircraft has different ways of technology to fight crime during the day and also at night, such as the Thermal Imager… Nothing goes unseen with Texas DPS flying above.

“the helicopter this platform is the latest and greatest of law enforcement helicopter technology, you can see the thermal imager, optical cam being displayed, computers that will get us in the right spot, having this technology in the police helicopter cuts down response time immeasurable.
Another gadget on the Eurocopter-145…” the night sun” a light so powerful its able to turn night into day. The second reason for success from up above?

“as you can see these helicopters are so complex that having an officer with law enforcement equipment is what is taking us to the next level. “
Meet Rudy Escobar, tactical operations officer, Escobar sits on the left side of the helicopter focusing solely on the cameras, navigation systems and tools aboard the aircraft.

You got the other rafts coming your way Rudy, look for guns Rudy “

“I got the rafts..Beacon on the side have bails on the side they are pulling out of the water